Field Site

Objective

Students will develop observational and organizational skills necessary for accurate data collection.

Why Choose a Field Site?

Choosing a field site allows you to make observations and do studies and experiments at the same place over a period of time. When you observe in the same place over time, you can see how the place, its organisms, and other natural elements change. You can really get to know the area and its inhabitants.

When you spend time choosing a good field site, you can be sure that you have a good chance to see the organisms or other natural elements you are looking for. If you want to study deer, for example, it may not make sense to go to a small park in the middle of a city to observe them. However, if you want to observe squirrels, that same park would be an ideal place to go.
Thoughtfully choosing a field site encourages students to think about the focus of their study. Observing at one site over time gives them an opportunity for a much richer understanding of changes in nature, including life cycles of insects and the effects of temperature and weather on the soil and its inhabitants.

What Makes a Good Field Site?

Choosing a good field site can make big difference in the data you collect. How would you go about choosing a good site?

  • What things do you need to consider when choosing your site?
  • What resources might you use to find a good site?

You may want students to discuss their ideas in small groups and then share them with the class, or you may choose to brainstorm as a class. In either case, write students' responses on the board and accept all reasonable responses.

Watch the video of a scientist explaining how he chooses a field site. What kinds of things does he consider when choosing a site?

Compare the information the scientist mentions with the ideas you listed on the board. What factors did the scientist include that students did not mention? What resources did the scientist mention that the students did not?

Choosing Your Field Site

Before you can begin gathering data, you must choose a good site. If you are working with a group or a class, you will need to make this decision together.

  1. Think carefully about the kind of data you will collect. In this case, you will be gathering data about soil and soil critters. What are some things that your site must have so that you can gather the data you are looking for?
    Some of the factors students might consider include: the amount of open soil available in the area, diversity of micro-habitats (e.g., rocks and logs, shaded areas and sunny areas, water).
  2. Think of at least two areas where you could go to collect data. If possible, go to these areas and look around. For each site you consider, make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of the site.
    Considering more than one site helps students to think more carefully about what makes a good field site. However, if you have a time constraint or lack multiple areas to consider as field sites, you can skip this step.
  3. Look at the advantages and disadvantages you listed for each possible site and choose one of the sites.
  4. Go out to your site and create a detailed site description and map of your site. You can use the Field Site Description worksheet or create your own.
    You can have students brainstorm important elements to include in their site description, either in groups or as a class. They can then compare these elements to the ones on the Field Site Description worksheet or they can use the elements they suggested to create their own site description.
  5. Add the worksheet to your field journal.

Tips for Choosing a Field Site

Choosing a good field site is very important. Below are a few tips to consider as you choose your site.

  • Think about what you want to study and find a site that matches. In this case, you want to study the soil and soil critters, so be sure to choose an area where you can easily get to and study the soil.
    Students may also want to consider the condition of the soil and the amount of litter found there. Another option is to find a site that has been altered significantly by humans and compare it to a more "natural" site.
  • Think about diversity. A field site with several micro-habitats might give you more interesting data than one that is all the same.
    Choosing a diverse area will allow for interesting comparisons as students gather data from different areas of the site.
  • Be practical. Choose a site that is close by and easy to get to. You will want to visit your site regularly.
  • Be considerate. Choose a site where your work won't be a problem for other people who use the site. For example, it is probably not a good idea to dig holes on the sports field, where players may be injured if they step in one.
    Students may also want to consider traffic through the area. For some activities, students will set up roped quadrants in which to work.
  • Think about the size of your field site. For some of the activities on this Web site, you will divide your field site into smaller quadrants to study. Look for an area that is large enough to be interesting and challenging, but not too large to manage.
    Keep in mind that for some activities, students will be setting up 50 cm by 50 cm roped quadrants. The site should be at least large enough to accommodate these quadrants for groups of two to four students.

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